Managing Western Rangelands with GIS and Remote Sensing Keith T. Weber GIS Director Idaho State University

Research Team Sudhanshu Panda, Nancy Glenn, Matthew Germino, Scott Hughes, and Richard Inouye (ISU) Steven Seefeldt and Bret Taylor (USSES) Numerous grad students

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements NASA USDA ARS- USSES USDI BLM

What are Rangelands? Typically semi-arid (brittle) Grass and shrub dominated Not cultivated, irrigated, or fertilized Occupies 44% of Idaho

Our Study Area

A Brief History… Land cover change study Explore the primary agents of change –Weeds –Fire –Urbanization

IssuesIssues Invasive weeds Wildfires Desertification

Our Role to Managers Decision support tools –Predictive models Public outreach to decision makers –Increase understanding

Issue #1- Target Weed Species Cheatgrass –Interesting species –Brief life history Leafy Spurge

Current results Cheatgrass is difficult to detect reliably –Detection threshold –Patchy target –Similar to non-target features We have used Landsat, SPOT, and Quickbird imagery.

Patchy Target

Spectral Similarity

Issue #2, Wildfire Reliable fuel load modeling Current rangeland fire severity modeling

Issue #3, Desertification For land managers and land stewards… –Bio-diversity issue –Why is this weed here? –What are we to do about high fuel loads? –What can we do about the exposed soils?

Holistic Integration Symptoms of degraded rangeland health –Loss of bio-diversity –Weeds –Bare ground –Ineffective water cycles with exacerbated drought effects We have studied the symptoms…now let’s move to the cause.

Why are the Rangelands Degraded? It appears to be… –Years of over-rest –Following years of over-grazing of plants Why? –Grasses evolved with grazing Grazed once in a season….not numerous times –Animal impact is important Hoof action –Look at corral areas in the study area

Quantifying Rangeland Health: Modeling

Importance of Rangeland Health Modeling and Forecasting Big picture Addresses end-user core concerns Reliable models possible

Thank You For more information visit our Internet Map Server at: – website/rangelands/viewer.htm –Or visit our home page